Chilling technique for dispensing carbonated beverage

ABSTRACT

A system for dispensing carbonated beverage into an open container precisely controls the temperature of the carbonated beverages using an in-line zeroΔT chiller. The chiller preferably includes a flooded freon-bath heat exchanger in which an output temperature of the carbonated beverage from the heat exchanger matches the temperature of freon within the heat exchanger under normal operating conditions. A pressure sensor measures the pressure of freon in the heat exchanger and a freon valve in the refrigeration circuit is electronically controlled in order to adjust the pressure of the freon and consequently the temperature of the freon in the heat exchanger. The optimum temperature for the carbonated beverage is selected either by choice, or in the case of carbonated beverages on ice to approximately the surface temperature of the ice in order to reduce foaming.

This nonprovional application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/146,472, filed Jul. 30, 1999.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the automated dispensing of a carbonatedbeverage into open containers.

The present invention arose during ongoing efforts by the inventor toimprove carbonated beverage dispensing systems. In U.S. Pat. No.5,603,363 entitled “Apparatus For Dispensing A Carbonated Beverage WithMinimal Foaming”, issuing on Feb. 18, 1997, and in U.S. Pat. No.5,566,732 issuing on Oct. 22, 1996, both incorporated herein byreference, the inventor discloses systems for dispensing carbonatedbeverage, such as beer or soda, into an open container. The systemdisclosed in U.S. Pat. 5,603,363 discloses the bottom filling ofcarbonated beverage into an open container. U.S. Pat No. 5,566,732discloses the use of a bar code reader to read indicia on the opencontainer when placed beneath the nozzle that indicates the volume ofthe open container in order to automate the dispensing procedure, andpreferably various aspects of on site accounting and inventoryprocedures. In these systems, the carbonated beverage is dispensed froma nozzle that has an outlet port placed near the bottom of the opencontainer, i.e. the open container is bottom filled. In addition tobottom filling, these systems control the dispensing pressure of thecarbonated beverage as well as its temperature in order to minimizefoaming. In the above incorporated U.S. patents, the carbonated beverageis held in a vented chamber prior to dispensing in order to maintain thepressured atmospheric pressure. The carbonated beverage is cooled bycirculating chilled air around the chamber.

In many circumstances, it is desirable to control the temperature of thecarbonated beverage being dispensed more precisely. For example, beermanufacturers normally have selected optimum serving temperatures forthe products.

As another example, consider carbonated soft drinks that are normallyserved on ice in open containers. Excessive foaming of soft drinkspoured on ice is a recurring inefficiency throughout the food andbeverage industry.

Carbonated soft drinks foam (sometimes excessively) while beingdispensed onto ice in the serving container. As a consequence, personneloperating the dispenser must fill the serving container until the levelof foam reaches the brim and then wait for the foam to settle beforeadding additional carbonated beverage. In some instances, severaliterations of this process must occur before the container is filledwith liquid to the proper serving level. “Topping Off” necessitated bythe foaming of the beverage prolongs the dispensing operation andimpedes the ability to fully automate the dispensing of carbonatedbeverages. Nevertheless, many establishments have push button activatedtaps which automatically dispense measured quantities of carbonatedbeverage into different sized containers, such as glasses, mugs andpitchers. However, this automated equipment only partially fills theserving container and the user must still manually “top off” thecontainer after the foam from the automated step settles in order todispense the proper serving quantity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a chilling technique for an automatedcarbonated beverage dispensing system. In accordance with the invention,the system uses a zeroΔT chiller to chill the carbonated beverage as itflows from the source of the pressurized carbonated beverage to thenozzle. The zeroΔT chiller includes a heat exchanger that is sized suchthat the output temperature of carbonated beverage from the heatexchanger exactly matches the temperature of a freon bath within theheat exchanger under normal operating conditions. Preferably, thetemperature of freon in the heat exchanger is adjustable. This isaccomplished by providing a pressure sensor to measure the pressure ofthe freon in the heat exchanger and by providing a valve that can adjustthe pressure of the freon. In the preferred systems, an electroniccontroller receives data input representing the preferred temperaturefor the carbonated beverage as it exits the chiller heat exchanger, andcontrols the position of the freon valve depending on the pressure ofthe freon in order to adjust the temperature of the freon. The heatexchanger is preferably a flooded freon-bath heat exchanger, althoughother types of heat exchangers such as tube-in-tube heat exchangers aresuitable.

In another aspect, the invention involves the step of adding ice to theopen container after the open container is placed underneath the nozzlesuch that the outlet port of the nozzle is proximate the bottom of theopen container when the ice is being added to the container. Preferably,the ice is supplied to the open container through a funnel having aoutlet through which the downwardly extending carbonated beverage nozzleextends. The ice is supplied circumferentially around the nozzle andinto the open container. In order to avoid foaming, the carbonatedbeverage should be chilled prior to dispensing to a temperature thatapproximately matches the surface temperature of the ice.

The presentation, and more particularly the amount of foaming, of thedispensed beverage can uniquely controlled, as described above, bycontrolling the temperature of the carbonated beverage, the dispensingpressure, the flow characteristics of the carbonated beverage exitingthe nozzle, and the relative position of the open container relative tothe nozzle outlet port when filling the open container. In accordancewith the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is possible toautomate each of these functions. Other features and advantages of theinvention should be apparent to those skilled in the art upon inspectingthe drawings and reviewing the following description thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a carbonated beverage dispensing system inaccordance with a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a view of a portion of the carbonated beverage dispensingsystem shown in FIG. 1 at a point in time in which carbonated beverageis dispensing from the system into an open container.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the preferred electronic controlsystem for the system shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating the pressure of the carbonated beveragewithin the nozzle prior, during, and subsequent to dispensing thecarbonated beverage from the nozzle into the open container.

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of the region designated in FIG. 1 by arrow5—5 which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the valve headincorporating a bottom activation switch.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing the bottom activation switchbeing actuated and the valve open in order to dispense carbonatedbeverage from the nozzle into the open container.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a detailed view of the region in FIG. 7 designated by arrows8—8 which illustrates the valve head configuration of the system in FIG.7.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 showing a bottom activation switchbeing actuated in order to open the valve and dispense carbonatedbeverage from the nozzle into the open container.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 11A through 11C show various embodiments of valve heads, eachhaving a distinct configuration for the distribution surface on thevalve head.

FIG. 12 is a schematic drawing showing an automated open containerholder.

FIG. 13 is a schematic view similar to FIG. 12 which shows the opencontainer being automatically lowered as it is being filled.

FIG. 14 is a detailed view of the region depicted by arrows 14—14 inFIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a graph illustrating a possible pouring profile for thesystems shown in FIGS. 12-14 in which the Y-axis represents the relativedistance of the bottom of the open container from the outlet port of thenozzle with respect to time during filling.

FIGS. 16A through 16D show the preferred manner of adding ice into anopen container being filled with carbonated beverage.

FIG. 17 is a schematic view of still another embodiment of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a carbonated beverage dispensing system 10 thatmaintains the carbonated beverage 12 in a pressurized state, i.e. at apressure substantially above atmospheric pressure such as 15 psi, whenthe valve 14 for the dispensing nozzle 16 is in a closed position. InFIG. 1, the source of carbonated beverage is designated by referencenumeral 18. A carbon dioxide source 20 is connected to the source ofcarbonated beverage 18 via line 22 in order to supply gas that forcesthe carbonated beverage out of the source container 18 as is commonpractice. The source container 18 would typically be a keg of maltbeverage such as beer, or could be a source of carbonated water to whichflavored syrup is mixed downstream in the case of soft drinks. FIG. 1shows a valve 24 in line 22 that is electronically controlled bycontroller 26 in order to regulate the pressure within the source 18 ofcarbonated beverage. Alternatively, the system pressure is set manually,or by a conventional regulator on the carbon dioxide source.

The pressurized carbonated beverage is supplied from the source 18 ofcarbonated beverage through line 28 to a pressurized chamber 30.Pressure transducer 29 monitors the pressure of the carbonated beveragewithin the pressurized chamber 30 and dispensing nozzle 16, and outputsa signal to the electronic controller 26. An in-line chiller 32 chillsthe carbonated beverage flowing through line 28 to a desiredtemperature. The in-line chiller 32 is controlled by the electroniccontroller 26. As described later in connection with FIG. 3, the chiller32 is preferably a zeroΔT freon bath chiller. The volume of thepressurized chamber 30 is relatively arbitrary, but in this embodimentis approximately one gallon. The dispensing nozzle 16 extends downwardfrom the pressurized chamber 30. The dispensing nozzle preferably has adiameter of ¾ to 2 inches, and has a length sufficient for bottomfilling open containers which are typically used in connection with thesystem 10. For example, the nozzle 16 may typically be 12 or more inchesin length.

The valve head 14 is connected to a valve stem 34 which passeslongitudinally along the center axis of the nozzle 16 and extends upwardthrough the pressurized chamber 30. An electronically controlledactuator 36, such as a servo motor or a pneumatic actuator, is mountedto the top of the chamber 30. The valve actuator 36 is connected to thevalve stem 34 and selectively positions the valve head 14 with respectto the outlet port 38 of the nozzle 16. The electronic controller 26outputs a control a signal to the valve actuator 36 through line 56. Inthe system shown in FIG. 1, a bottom activation switch 40 is providedalong a base surface of the valve 14. When the bottom 42 of the opencontainer 44 presses the switch 40 upward, the switch 40 sends a signalthrough line 46 physically located in part within the valve stem 34 tothe electronic controller 36.

The system 10 also preferably includes an elastomeric bladder 48 mountedalong one of the surfaces of the pressurized chamber 30. A bladderactuator 50, such as a servo motor or a pneumatic actuator, is connectedto the elastomeric bladder 48. As depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, the bladder48 is in contact with the carbonated beverage 12 in the pressurizedchamber 30. During operation of the system 10, the electronic controller26 controls the actuator 50 to move the elastomeric bladder 48 from theposition shown at FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2. In theretracted position in FIG. 2, the pressure of the carbonated beveragewithin the chamber 30 and the nozzle 16 is reduced to a selectedpressure in order to dispense the carbonated beverage through the outletport 38 of the nozzle 16. FIG. 1 also shows an adjustable flowrestriction device 51 located in pressurized line 28 between the source18 of the pressurized carbonated beverage and the chamber 30 and nozzle16. One purpose of the adjustable flow restriction device 51 is tocreate a time lag for the recovery of pressure within the nozzle 16after the bladder 48 has been retracted. Another purpose is to maintainappropriate carbonation of the beverage upstream of the flow restrictiondevice 51.

An electronically controlled venting valve 52 is mounted to thepressurized chamber 30. The venting valve 52 is opened in order to fillthe pressurized chamber 30 and nozzle 16 with carbonated beverage duringstart up.

The system 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 operates generally in the followingmanner. The electronic controller 26 adjusts valve 24 in pressurizedcarbon dioxide line 22 in order to force carbonated beverage from thesource 18 into pressurized line 28 or, as mentioned, the initial systempressure can be set manually or by a conventional regulator on thecarbon dioxide source. A typical pressure for pressurized line 28 wouldbe 15-30 psi, although this pressure is discretionary. The in-linechiller 32 chills the pressurized carbonated beverage to a desiredtemperature (for example, 36.5 degrees Fahrenheit for certain beers, orthe surface temperature of ice added to the open container for softdrinks). The chilled and pressurized carbonated beverage then flowsthrough the flow restriction device 51 and into the pressurized chamber30 and nozzle 16 with the valve 14 in a closed position as shown in FIG.1. With the valve 14 closed, the pressure of the carbonated beverage inthe nozzle achieves equilibrium pressure which is the same as thepressure in the pressurized line 28 and substantially greater thanatmospheric pressure.

In order to dispense carbonated beverage into the open container 44, theopen container 44 is placed underneath the nozzle 16 with the outletport 38 for the nozzle 16 proximate the bottom 42 of the open container44. The system 10 is then activated to initiate a dispensing cycle, forexample by pushing the bottom 42 of the open container 44 against theactivation switch 40 on the bottom of the valve head 14, or inaccordance with a barcode system such as disclosed in incorporated U.S.Pat. No. 5,566,732, or by some other push button or electronic control.After system activation, the dispensing valve 14 is maintained in aclosed position and the electronic controller 26 initiates thedispensing cycle. First, the electronic controller sends a controlsignal through line 54 to the bladder actuator 50 to retract theelastomeric bladder 48 and reduce the pressure of the carbonatedbeverage 12 contained in the nozzle 16 and chamber 30 to a lesserpressure that is appropriate for controlled dispensing of the carbonatedbeverage from the outlet port 38 of the nozzle 16 into the opencontainer 44. Preferably, the retraction of the bladder 48, FIG. 2,reduces the pressure of the carbonated beverage 12 in the nozzle 16 to apressure slightly greater than atmospheric pressure, and in any event nomore than 6 psi greater than atmospheric pressure. The valve head 14 isopened once the pressure of the carbonated beverage has been reduced tothe selected dispensing pressure, thus allowing carbonated beverage toflow from the nozzle outlet port 38 into the open container 44 in acontrolled manner as illustrated in FIG. 2. Because the pressure of thecarbonated beverage is known during the dispensing procedure, the amountof carbonated beverage filling the open container 44 accuratelycorresponds to the precise time period that the valve 14 is open. Thedispensing valve 14 is closed after the predetermined time period. Thepresentation of the carbonated beverage within the open container 44 islikely to be extremely repeatable because the temperature and thedispensing pressure of the carbonated beverage are tightly controlled.Other features of the system 10 described in connection with otherFigures help to improve the repeatability of the presentation of thecarbonated beverage in the open container.

FIG. 4 is a plot illustrating the pressure of the carbonated beveragewithin the nozzle 16 as a function of time over the course of adispensing a cycle. FIG. 4 shown by way of example that the pressure ofthe carbonated beverage within the nozzle 16 at time T=0, (i.e. beforethe dispensing cycle) is 15 psi. As shown in FIG. 4, the pressure of thecarbonated beverage in the nozzle is reduced from 15 psi to 1 psi priorto dispensing the carbonated beverage from the nozzle. The time perioddesignated T₁ in FIG. 4 shows the pressure drop of the carbonatedbeverage within the nozzle form 15 psi to 1 psi. As mentioned, thisoccurs immediately before the valve 14 is opened. Once the pressure inthe nozzle 16 is reduced to the desired dispensing pressure, i.e. 1 psiin FIG. 4, the valve 14 is opened to dispense the carbonated beverage.In FIG. 4, the valve 14 is opened during the time period designated T₂.Note that FIG. 4 shows that the pressure during the time period T₂ is aconstant pressure which in many applications is preferred, however, isnot strictly necessary. At the end of the time period T₂, the valve 14is closed. The pressure on the carbonated beverage within the nozzle 16and the chamber 30 recovers during time period T₃. In the system 10shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the elastomeric bladder 48 is allowed to relaxto the home position shown in FIG. 1 during time period T₃ after thevalve 14 is closed. Subsequent dispensing cycles are not typicallyinitiated until the pressure of the carbonated beverage within thenozzle 16 and the chamber 30 is fully recovered, however, this is notnecessary (e.g., the bladder operation is controlled in response to thesignal from the pressure transducer 29). It may be important to properlyadjust the flow restriction device 51 in order to achieve constant ornearly constant pressure during the time period T₂. That is, dependingon the overall volume of the chamber 30 and nozzle 16, an inadequateflow restriction 51 may allow a premature pressure rise in the nozzle 16before it is time to close the valve 14. An inadequate flow restriction51 can be overcome by modulating bladder actuator 50.

FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing showing the preferred chiller system 32A,which is referred to herein as the zeroΔT chiller 32A. In FIG. 3, thepressurized line 28 from the source of pressurized carbonated beverageflows through the evaporator 64. The evaporator 64 is preferably aflooded, freon-bath heat exchanger, although other conventional heatexchangers such as tube-in-tube heat exchangers may be suitable. Thepreferred flood freon-bath heat exchanger 64 is sized so that, under allnormal operating conditions, the heat exchanger 64 has sufficientchilling capacity in order that the temperature of the carbonatedbeverage flowing from the evaporator 64 matches the temperature of thefreon bath. In this manner, the temperature of the pressurizedcarbonated beverage flowing into the chamber 30 and the nozzle can beprecisely determined by the temperature of the freon bath. Thetemperature of the freon bath in the evaporator 64 is monitored by apressure transducer 66 which transmits a signal to the electroniccontroller 26. Block 68 in FIG. 3 which is labeled data inputillustrates that the desired temperature of the carbonated beverage canbe input as data into the controller 26, e.g., through a keypad or fromelectronic memory, etc. In turn, the controller 26 adjusts the positionof valve 70 to change the pressure in the flooded, freon-bath of theevaporator 64 in order to obtain the desired temperature for thefreon-bath. The valve 70 shown in FIG. 3 is a three-way valve. Theprimary purpose of valve 70 is that of an expansion valve in the freonrefrigeration cycle. However, valve 70 can be adjusted so that a portionor all of the freon flowing to the valve 70 bypasses the evaporator 64and flows directly through line 72 to the compressor. Typically, it isdesirable to bypass the evaporator 64 entirely when the system 10 is instand-by mode (i.e., hot gas by-pass), and there is no carbonatedbeverage 28 flowing through the evaporator heat exchanger 64. Utilizingsuch a bypass during stand-by mode is preferable to turning off power tothe compressor because compressor start up times are significant andcompressor duty life is severely shortened by repeated starting andstopping.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, it may be desirable to provide a valvehead 14 with a bottom activation switch 40. The valve head 14 has aproximal end 74 that is attached to the valve stem 34, and a distal end76. The diameter of the valve head 14 at the proximal end 74 is lessthan the diameter of the valve head at the distal end 76 as is apparentfrom FIGS. 5 and 6. The valve head 14 includes a distribution surface 78that contacts the carbonated beverage as it is stored in the nozzle 16and as it flows through the outlet port 38 of the nozzle 16. The valve14 also includes a base surface 80 that is generally horizontal alongthe distal end 76 of the valve 14. The valve head 14 is preferably madeof stainless steel, and can be an integral component with the valve stem34, although this is not necessary for implementing the invention. Astar-shaped hub 82 aligns the valve stem 34 within the nozzle 16. It isdesirable that the valve stem be accurately aligned in order for thedispensing carbonated beverage to form a full 360° curtain havingsubstantially symmetric thickness. Inaccurate alignment will corrupt thesymmetry of the curtain and result in sub-optimal dispensing. Thestainless steel valve stem 34 and head 14 contains a longitudinal bore84 that houses wires 46 which transmit signals from the activationswitch 40. The activation switch 40 is preferably an optical sensor 86that is glued into the bore 84 along the base surface 80 of the valvehead 14 such that the sensor 86 extends downward beyond the base surface80 of the valve head 14. An elastomeric seal 88 covers the switch 40 andis secured to the base surface 80 of the valve head using fasteners 90.The fasteners 90 are counter sunk within groove 92 in the base surface80 of the valve head. A spring 94 (or other elastic material) is locatedaround the sensor 86 for the switch 40. In the embodiment shown in FIGS.5 and 6, the sensor 86 as well as the spring 94 reside primarily withina central recess 96 on the base surface 80 of the valve head 14. In FIG.5, the spring 94 provides biasing pressure against the seal 88, and thesensor 86 measures the distance to the seal 88 in the open position. Inorder to close the switch 40, the user pushes the open container 44upward so that the bottom 42 of the container pushes upward against theseal 88 and the spring 94. The sensor 86 measures the distance to theseal 88 in the closed position as shown in FIG. 6, and control signalsare transmitted through wires 46 to the electronic controller 26. Inturn, the electronic controller 26 controls the opening and positioningof the valve head 14 with the respect to the outlet port 38 of thenozzle 16. If a waterproof optical sensor 86 is used, the seal 88 andspring 94 are not necessary. In a system using a waterproof opticalsensor, the optical sensor measures the distance to the bottom of theopen container, rather than the distance to the spring-biased seal.

Still referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the valve head 14 includes acircumferential groove 98 that is located at the distal end 76 of thevalve head between the distribution surface 78 and the base surface 80.An O-ring elastomeric seal 100 is placed in the circumferential groove98. When the valve head 14 is closed, as shown in FIG. 5, it isimportant that the O-ring seal 100 seat against the nozzle 16 to form atight seal that is capable of preventing the leakage of pressurizedcarbonated beverage. Note that in FIG. 5, the O-ring seal 100 seatsdirectly against the outlet port 38 for the nozzle 16. In someapplications, however, it may be desirable to have the O-ring seal 100seat directly against an inside wall of the nozzle 16.

In many circumstances, such as the dispensing of malt beverages, it isdesirable to greatly redirect the trajectory of the carbonated beveragemore horizontally before dispensing. This is accomplished in accordancewith the invention by using a valve head 14 in which the distributionsurface 78 has a specialized geometry. In particular, a first portion ofthe distribution surface 102 near the proximal end 74 of the valve head14 is sloped more steeply downward than a second portion 104 of thedistribution surface 78 that is located closer to the distal end 76 ofthe valve head 14. With this geometry, the valve head 14 gentlyredirects the flow of carbonated beverage when it initially flowstowards the valve head 14, yet continues to further redirect the flow atdownstream portion 104 in order to achieve a more preferable dispensingtrajectory.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show a slightly different embodiment 110 of the invention.It should be understood that various components of the system 10 shownon FIG. 1 such as the chiller, the source of carbon dioxide 20, and thesource of carbonated beverage 18 are depicted generally by block 112labeled “beverage” in FIG. 7. In the system 110 shown in FIG., 7, theadjustable flow control device 51 of FIG. 1 has been replaced by a fixedflow control restriction 51A. In addition, the chilled and pressurizedcarbonated beverage flows from line 28 through the fixed flow controlrestriction 51A directly into the chamber defined by the nozzle 16. Thevolume of carbonated beverage within the flow control nozzle 16downstream of the flow control restriction 51A in FIG. 7 can be lessthan the volume of the open container. In the system 110 shown in FIG.7, the valve head 14A is located within the nozzle 16 when the valve isclosed as shown more specifically in the detailed view of FIG. 8. It isimportant that the O-ring seal 100A, FIG. 8, engage tightly against theinside surface 16A of the nozzle when the valve head 14A is in a closedposition. Similar to the system 10 shown on FIG. 1, the system 110 shownin FIG. 7 has an electronically controlled valve actuator 36 that isconnected to a valve stem 34 and controls the position of the valve head14A. The system 110 also includes a vent valve 52A that is opened toinitially fill the nozzle 16 with beverage.

One distinct difference between the system 110 shown in FIG. 7 and thesystem 10 shown in FIG. 1 is that the system 110 in FIG. 7 does not usean elastomeric bladder to reduce the pressure of carbonated beveragecontained in the nozzle 16 prior to dispensing carbonated beverage fromthe nozzle 16. Rather, upon initiation of the dispensing cycle (e.g.,the engagement of activation switch 40 against the bottom 42 of the opencontainer 44), the electronic controller 26 transmits a control signalthrough line 56 to instruct the valve actuator 36 (e.g. a servo motor orpneumatic actuator) to move the valve head 14A downward within thenozzle 16 prior to opening the valve 14A. This operation is illustratedin FIG. 9. The phantom locations for the O-ring seal 100A depicted byreference numerals 114 are an illustrative home location for the O-ringseal 100A. The valve 14A is located with the O-ring seal 100A in thehome position 114 prior to the initiation of the dispensing cycle, andthe carbonated beverage within the nozzle 16 is pressurized. Uponinitiation of the dispensing cycle, the electronic controller instructsthe valve actuator 36 to move the valve 14A downward so that the O-ringseal 100A is in an intermediate position identified by reference numbers116. At this point in the process, the valve 14A is still closedinasmuch as the O-ring seal 100A prevents the dispensing of carbonatedbeverage from the outlet port 38A of the nozzle 16. The purpose ofmoving the valve head 14A from the home position 114 to the intermediateposition of 116 is to slightly expand the size of the volume containedwithin the nozzle 16 and the flow restriction device 51A in order toreduce the pressure of the carbonated beverage within the nozzle 16. Inthis respect the system 110 operates substantially identically to thesystem 10 shown in FIG. 1. After the pressure has been reduced withinthe nozzle 16, the electronic controller 26 then opens that valve 14A,FIG. 9, in order to allow carbonated beverage to dispense through theoutlet port 38A into the open container 44. Note that the combinedvolume within the nozzle 16 and the fixed flow control restriction 51Ais probably smaller than the volume contained within the chamber 30 andnozzle 16 in the system 10 of FIG. 1. Therefore it may be necessaryduring the dispensing cycle in the system 110 shown in FIG. 7 to openthe vent valve 52A momentarily in order to ensure that a properdispensing pressure is achieved and maintained during the dispensingcycle.

FIG. 10 shows a system 210 in accordance with another embodiment of theinvention. In system 210 shown in FIG. 10, the pressure of thecarbonated beverage within the nozzle 16 is reduced prior to dispensingby a variable pressure valve illustrated as block 212. In system 210,when the bottom 42 of the open container 44 engages activation switch 40to initiate a dispensing cycle, the electronic controller 26 transmits acontrol signal through line 214 to the variable pressure valve 212. FIG.10 shows the variable pressure valve 212 located in pressurized line 28upstream of the flow restriction device 51A, although it would bepossible to locate the variable pressure valve 212 downstream of theflow restriction device 51A, or implement the system without the flowrestriction device 51A. When the electronic controller 26 sends a signalto the variable pressure valve 212 indicating the initiation of thedispensing cycle, the variable pressure valve reduces the pressurewithin the nozzle 16. Thereafter, the dispensing valve 14 is opened aswith the earlier systems 10 and 110. If necessary, the venting valve 52Acan be opened during the dispensing cycle in order to ensure theappropriate dispensing pressure.

FIGS. 11A through 11C show three different valve head configurations. InFIG. 11A, the valve head 314 has a distribution surface 378 having aconstant downward slope, i.e., is the shape of the valve head 314 inFIG. 11A is generally cone shape. An O-ring 300 seal is located within acircumferential groove between the distribution surface 378 and the basesurface 380 as described above in connection with FIGS. 5 and 6. Withthe valve head 314 shown in FIG. 11A, the flow of carbonated beveragethrough the nozzle 16 is initially redirected in 360° as carbonatedbeverage impinges valve head 314 as depicted by arrow 382. In order tominimize undesirable turbulence and foaming when the carbonated beverageimpacts the valve head 314, it is important that the slope of thedistribution surface 378 be relatively steep in order to not agitatelaminar flow. The trajectory of the carbonated beverage flowing alongthe valve head 314 as it dispenses into the open container 44 isgenerally in the direction represented by arrow 384 in FIG. 11A. With abeverage dispensing trajectory as represented by arrow 384, thetrajectory distance for the carbonated beverage between the distributionsurface 78 and bottom 42 of the open container 44 is given by the arrowX. The magnitude of distance X in FIG. 11A depends on the distance ofthe valve head 314 from the bottom 42 of the open container 44. Thetrajectory angle of arrow 384 has a relatively steep decent, however.With the valve head 314 in FIG. 11A, the carbonated beverage impacts thebottom 42 of the container 44 at a relatively abrupt angle when thevalve head 314 is located close to the bottom 42 of the open container44.

FIG. 11B shows a valve head 14 similar to that disclosed in FIG. 5. Invalve head 14 shown in FIG. 11B and FIG. 5, the distribution surface 78includes a first portion 102, and a second portion 104. Each portion102, 104 is in the shape of the truncated cone. The slope of thedistribution surface 78 of the first portion 102 descends more steeplythan the slope of the distribution surface 78 of the second portion 104.When the carbonated beverage flowing through the nozzle 16 initiallyimpinges the first truncated cone portion 102 of the valve 14, the flowof carbonated beverage is redirected in accordance with arrow 482. Asthe carbonated beverage adjacent the valve distribution surface 78continues to flow along the valve distribution surface 78, it impingesthe second truncated cone portion 104 which redirects the flow adjacentthe valve 14 in accordance with arrow 484. In this manner, valve 14gently redirects the flow of carbonated beverage twice in order toobtain a flow trajectory that is less steep than the valve head 314shown in FIG. 11A. With the valve head 14 shown in FIG. 11B, thetrajectory distance from the valve head distribution surface 78 to thebottom 42 of the open container 44 is given by arrow Y. Note that themagnitude of arrow Y in FIG. 11B is generally greater than the magnitudeof arrow X shown in FIG. 11A because the trajectory angle of arrow 484in FIG. 11B is more shallow than the trajectory angle of arrow 384 inFIG. 11A.

FIG. 11C shows a valve head 414 in which the slope of the distributionsurface 478 becomes continuously less steep as the distribution surface478 extends from the proximal end 474 to the distal end 476 of the valvehead 414. When the carbonated beverage initially impinges thedistribution surface 478, it is gently redirected as depicted by arrow483, and it continues to be gently redirected to a less steep trajectoryas illustrated by arrow 485. The magnitude of the arrow labeled Z inFIG. 11C designates the trajectory distance of the carbonated beverageas it leaves the distribution surface 478 before it hits the bottom 42of the open container 44. Note that with the valve head configuration inFIG. 11C, it is possible that the trajectory of the carbonated beverageflowing from the valve head 414 be flatter than with the configurationsshown in FIGS. 11B and 11A.

FIG. 12 through 14 illustrate a system 510 that has an automatedcontainer holder 512 is connected to a lifting actuator 514. The liftingactuator 514 moves the container holder 512 between a fully raisedposition designated by FRP in FIG. 12 and a down position designated DPin FIG. 12. The lifting actuator 514 is preferably driven by a servomotor or an electronically controlled pneumatic mechanism. The liftingactuator 514 receives a control signal from the electronic controllervia line 516 in order to control the positioning of the container holder512. To use the system 510, the user places the open container 44 on theplatform while the platform is located in the down position DP, FIG. 12.The system is then actuated either by a push button, by barcode readingmeans as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,732, or other activationmeans. The activation signal is provided to the electronic controller 26via line 518, FIG. 12. Upon receiving the activation signal, theelectronic controller 26 initiates the dispensing cycle. This initiationinvolves the reduction of pressure of the carbonated beverage in thenozzle 16 as discussed previously. Also, a control signal is transmittedthrough line 516 to the lift actuator 514 to lift the container holderfrom the down position DP to the filly raised position FRP. When thecontainer holder 512 is positioned in the fully raised position, FRP,FIG. 12, the bottom 42 of the open container 44 is located proximate tothe outlet port of the nozzle 16. With the open container 44 in thefully raised position and the pressure appropriately reduced in thenozzle 16, the electronic controller 26 transmits a control signalthrough line 56 to valve actuator 36 to open the valve 14 and begindispensing carbonated beverage into the open container 44. Referring toFIGS. 13 and 14, the system 510 is capable of lowering the containerplatform 512 as the open container 44 is being filled. It is desirablethat the outlet port 38 remain submerged during the filling process (seeFIG. 14). The positioning of the container holder 512 during the fillingprocess is controlled by instructions from the electronic controller 26via line 516 to the lifting actuator 514.

In order to achieve a desired presentation for the carbonated beveragewithin the filled open container 44, it may desirable to position thecontainer holder during the filling process in accordance with apre-selected electronic pouring profile. This feature is illustrated inFIG. 15. Still referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, the distance of thecontainer holder 512 from the fully raised position, FRP, is displayedas a function 520 of time during an arbitrary filling cycle. Theposition of the curve 520 in FIG. 15 is referred to herein as thepouring profile. The pouring profile 520 is preferably storedelectronically in memory that is accessible to the electronic controller26. The pouring profile 520 in FIG. 15 assumes that it take 2 seconds tofill the container 44. As the container holder 512 moves from the fullyraised position, FRP, at Time=0 to the down position, DP, at Time=2seconds, intermediate motion rate and direction of the container holder512 vary. In other words, while the open container 44 is being filled,the container may be lowered at slow rate, a fast rate, or may even beraised slightly in order to achieve the desired presentation.

In some applications, it may be desirable to selectively move andposition the valve 14 with respect to the nozzle outlet port 38 whilethe carbonated beverage is dispensing from the nozzle 16. In theseapplications, the selective motion and positioning of the valve 14during the dispensing of beverage is preferably accomplished inaccordance with a predetermined dispensing profile, which is storedelectronically in memory accessible to the electronic controller 26. Inthis manner, the electronic controller 26 can be programmed to cause thevalve head 14 to flutter, or otherwise be selectively positioned andmoved during the dispensing of carbonated beverage in order to varydispensing flow characteristics.

FIGS. 16A through 16B illustrate a system similar to the system 510shown in FIGS. 12 through 14, but further including a funnel 612 foradding ice 614 into the open container 44. The funnel 612 preferably hasan outlet 614, through which the downwardly extending carbonatedbeverage nozzle 16 extends, such that ice is supplied circumferentiallyaround the nozzle 16 into the open container, see FIG. 16B. The ice 616is added to the open container 44 before dispensing the carbonatedbeverage into the open container 44 or contemporaneously with adding thecarbonated beverage into the open container 44. As mentioned previously,it is important when adding carbonated beverage 12 and ice 616 into anopen container 44 that the temperature of the carbonated beverageclosely match the surface temperature of the ice 616 in order to reduceexcessive foaming. While FIGS. 16A through 16B show the ice being addedvia a circumferential funnel 612, it is not necessary that the ice beadded circumferentially. For example, the ice could be added to thecontainer using a chute or some other means which does not circumventthe nozzle 16 Also, it would be possible to add the ice by hand, andstill achieve efficient filling in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the specific apparatus shown in FIGS. 16A through d, theopen container 44 is initially set into position on the container holderplatform 512 with the platform in the down position DP as shown in FIG.16A. The electronic controller 26 then instructs the actuator 514 tomove the container holder 512 to the fully raised FRP as shown in FIGS.16B. Contemporaneously, the electronic controller 26 instructs thesource of ice to discharge ice 616 into the funnel 612, and eventuallyinto the open container 44 as shown in FIGS. 16B and C. The funneloutlet 16 is sized slightly smaller than the typical opening for thecontainer 44. The electronic controller 26 is programmed to dispensecarbonated beverage into the open container 44 while the ice is fallinginto the container 44 or shortly thereafter. Preferably, the containerholder 512 and the open container 44 are lowered during the fillingprocess as depicted in FIG. 16B so that the open container 44 filledwith ice and carbonated beverage is ready for service.

Alternatively, it may be desirable to partially fill the container withice before adding the carbonated beverage. In this case, the nozzle 16will not be placed into the open container to a bottom filling position,rather it is placed within the open container above the ice. In order toavoid excessive foaming, it is important that the carbonated beverage bechilled to a temperature substantially equal to the surface temperatureof the ice that was added into the open container.

FIG. 17 illustrates a system 710 in accordance with still another aspectof he invention. The system 710 includes a second actuator 711 connectedto the controller 26 by a line 712. The actuator 711 serves tovertically move a piston 713 disposed around the valve stem 34 withinthe nozzle 16 above the flow inlet to the nozzle 16. The piston 713 isgenerally circular in shape and includes a central opening 714 throughwhich the valve stem 34 passes. To prevent the pressurized beverage fromflowing upwardly past the piston 713, the piston includes a pair ofO-ring seals 715 and 716. Seal 715 extends about the circumference ofthe central opening 714 in the piston 713 and engages the valve stem 34to form a seal between the piston 713 and the valve stem 34. Seal 716extends about the outer circumference of the piston 713 and engages theinner surface of the nozzle 16 to form a seal between the nozzle 16 andthe piston 713. The piston 713 also includes a vent channel 717extending through the piston 713 parallel to valve stem 34. The channel717 is connected to a venting valve 52 a on the exterior of the system710. The pressure in the system 710 is monitored by a pressuretransducer 719 located on the nozzle 16 and connected to the controller26 by line 720. In operation, the nozzle 16 is filled with thecarbonated beverage 112. Venting valve 52 a allows the system to bepurged of air during the filling process. After purging, the vent 52 ais closed. The carbonated beverage fills the nozzle 16 until the desiredbeverage storage pressure is reached, as measured by transducer 719. Inorder to dispense the carbonated beverage, the controller 26 activatesactuator 711 to raise shaft 718 and the piston 713 in order to decreasethe pressure within the nozzle 16. When the pressure is sufficientlyreduced within the nozzle 16 as measured by transducer 719, thecontroller 26 then initiates actuator 36 to move the valve stem 34 andvalve head 14 downwardly to dispense the beverage into the opencontainer 44. The transducer 719 continues to monitor the pressure ofthe carbonated beverage within the nozzle 16 during the pour. It ispreferred that the controller 26 continues to transmit instructions tothe piston actuator 711 to move the piston 713 during the pour in orderto maintain an appropriate pressure within the nozzle 16 for pouring.

The invention has been described herein in connection with severalembodiments, each including various features which may be desirable invarious applications. It should be recognized that various alternativesand modifications of the invention are possible within the scope for theinvention. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be interpretedby reviewing the following claims which particularly point out anddistinctly claim the invention. Various alternatives and otherembodiments are contemplated as being within the scope of the followingclaims which particularly point out and distinctly claim the subjectmatter regarded as the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for dispensing carbonated beverage intoan open container comprising: a source of carbonated beverage; adownwardly extending nozzle; a valve that controls the flow ofcarbonated beverage dispensing from the nozzle; a valve actuator thatpositions the valve to control the flow of carbonated beveragedispensing from the nozzle; and a chiller for chilling the carbonatedbeverage as the carbonated beverage flows from the source of carbonatedbeverage to the nozzle, wherein the chiller includes a heat exchanger inwhich an output temperature of the carbonated beverage from the heatexchanger matches a temperature of a refrigerant within the heatexchanger under normal operating conditions, the chiller furthercomprises a pressure sensor that measures the pressure of therefrigerant in the heat exchanger and a valve that can be adjusted inorder to adjust the pressure of the refrigerant in the heat exchanger.2. A system for dispensing carbonated beverage into an open container asrecited in claim 1 further comprising an electronic controller thatinputs a signal from the pressure sensor sensing the pressure of therefrigerant and outputs a signal to position the valve that adjusts thepressure of the refrigerant.
 3. A system for dispensing carbonatedbeverage into an open container as recited in claim 2 wherein theelectronic controller receives data input representing a preferredtemperature for the carbonated beverage exiting the chiller heatexchanger.
 4. A system for dispensing carbonated beverage into an opencontainer as recited in claim 1 wherein the source of carbonate beverageis an pressurized source of carbonated beverage, and the carbonatedbeverage remains pressurized until immediately prior to dispensing ofthe carbonated beverage.
 5. A system for dispensing carbonated beverageinto an open container as recited in claim 4 wherein the pressurizedcarbonated beverage is supplied from the source of carbonated beverageto the remainder of the system through a pressurized line, and thechiller is located in the pressurized line.
 6. A system for dispensingcarbonated beverage into an open container as recited in claim 1 whereinthe heat exchanger is a flooded refrigerant bath heat exchanger.
 7. Asystem for dispensing carbonated beverage into an open containercomprising: a source of carbonated beverage; a downwardly extendingnozzle; a valve that controls the flow of carbonated beverage dispensingfrom the nozzle; a valve actuator that positions the valve to controlthe flow of carbonated beverage dispensing from the nozzle; a chillerfor chilling the carbonated beverage as the carbonated beverage flowsfrom the source of carbonated beverage to the nozzle, wherein thechiller includes a heat exchanger in which an output temperature of thecarbonated beverage from the heat exchanger matches a temperature of arefrigerant within the heat exchanger under normal operating conditions;and an electronic controller that adjusts the temperature of therefrigerant within the heat exchanger and consequently the outputtemperature of the carbonated beverage exiting the heat exchanger toapproximately the surface temperature of ice added to carbonatedbeverage being dispensed into the open container.
 8. A system as recitedin claim 7 wherein ice is added to the open container before dispensingcarbonated beverage into the open container.
 9. A system as recited inclaim 7 wherein ice is added to the open container contemporaneouslywith adding the carbonated beverage into the open container.